Some of Ireland's top athletes have agreed to compete in the Irish Indoor Athletics Championship when they take place, for only the second time in the north, at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast in February.
World 3,000m Walk record holder Gillian O'Sullivan, World Indoor bronze medallist Paul McKee and Irish Indoor and Outdoor sprint record holder Paul Brizzell have all committed for the two-day meeting starting on the 14th.
The Athletics Association of Ireland (AAI) will use the meeting to assess and consider athletes for the World Indoor Championships, which take place in Budapest at the beginning of March.
A return to the Odyssey will hold fond memories for Kerry-based O'Sullivan, who produced a world record (11 mins 35.34 secs) in the Odyssey's first track event last February. She knocked five seconds off the previous 3K Walk record.
O'Sullivan will hope a strong early season performance in Belfast will assist in her preparations before aiming for an Olympic medal in Athens later in the year.
Local favourites McKee and Brizzell can impress in front of home crowds and both will be able to draw on their experiences of competing in last year's World Championships.
Brizell has dominated Irish sprinting in recent years, holding the 200m Indoor and Outdoor national records and also equalled his 100m Outdoor national record in Dublin last August.
Mervyn Elder, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Events Company, expressed his delight at prospect of such top athletes coming to Belfast:
"The Events Company is delighted to support these Championships for a second year. I am pleased that our local athletes have the opportunity to compete with the best from throughout Ireland and further afield and look forward to two days of top class competition."
"Earlier this year Odyssey Arena proved a superb venue for the Championships, and we look forward to welcoming Ireland's finest athletes back at the start of Olympic Year," stated Odyssey Arena's Chief Executive, Nicky Dunn.
Tickets go on sale from Tuesday 16th December 2003. Contact the Odyssey Arena on 028 9073 9074 or visit the Arena Box Office between 10am-7pm Monday to Saturday to book.